Principle Advocate – Criminal Litigation and Licensing
Permanent. Grade 6 – £54,495‑£64,811 (consultation grade – subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review). Working 36.5 hours per week.
A brilliant opportunity to join a dynamic, progressive legal service where you will work on a wide range of projects and cases, developing as a leading local government lawyer.
Birmingham City Council’s legal service is unique and one of the largest in‑house local authority legal teams. The City Council is on a journey of resetting, reshaping and restarting, and everyone within legal services is essential to the Council’s success and to achieving beneficial outcomes for our citizens.
Birmingham City Council is committed to achieving excellence, putting our citizens first, acting courageously and being true to our word.
This role is for one Principal Advocate within the Criminal Litigation and Licensing team.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a legal advisor to ensure compliance with statutory duties and obligations, protecting the best interests of the Council.
- Provide high‑quality, innovative, well‑researched and comprehensive specialist legal advice.
- Attend courts, tribunals, public inquiries or other meetings, undertake advocacy and represent the Council in negotiations and discussions.
- Appear as an advocate in the higher courts, representing the Council in a wide range of hearings.
- Assess evidential strengths and weaknesses in a case and advise on appropriate next steps or options.
- Draft court documents, briefing notes and legal documents.
- Support the Legal Services Management Team to meet practice‑management requirements and ensure compliance with policies and procedures, playing a key role in maintaining high service standards.
Qualifications & Conditions
You must possess a current practising certificate as a Solicitor/Chartered Legal Executive or be a member of the Bar who has completed pupillage/registered Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives. You must also possess a Higher Rights Qualification or be willing to obtain one.
Proof of right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Sponsorship is not available for this post.
Benefits
- 30 days annual leave (increases to 33 days after 5 years and 35 days after 10 years, plus option to purchase additional leave).
- Access to voluntary benefits providers that support health, wellbeing and leisure time.
- Family‑friendly policies, e.g. maternity/adoption, paternity, shared parental leave, carers’ leave.
- Health and wellbeing support networks: independent and confidential employee assistance and counselling, occupational health, etc.
- Employee communities and support groups including Corporate Black Workers Support Group, Disability and LGBT+ Networks, Menopause Support Forum, etc.
- Disability confident employer.
- Membership of a job‑related pension scheme, West Midlands Pension Fund or Teachers’ Pensions, with generous employer contributions.
- Access to ‘My Rewards’ – over 800 brands providing discounts and savings including high‑street stores, supermarkets, utilities, insurance providers, and great days out.
- Opportunities to join salary‑sacrifice schemes such as Cycle to Work, Annual Travel and Car Parking, and other schemes forthcoming.
Equal Opportunities
Birmingham City Council is a disability confident employer and is committed to recruiting, retaining and developing all its staff. All applications will be treated fairly and without bias. All staff and volunteers are expected to safeguard and promote the welfare of our citizens.
#J-18808-Ljbffr”, “datePosted”: “2026-05-12”, “hiringOrganization”: { “@type”: “Organization”, “name”: “Birmingham City Council”, “sameAs”: “https://uk.whatjobs.com/pub_api__cpl__429310170__4861?utm_campaign=publisher&utm_medium=api&utm_source=4861&geoID=835” }, “jobLocation”: { “@type”: “Place”, “address”: { “@type”: “PostalAddress”, “addressLocality”: “Birmingham” } } }Principle Advocate – Criminal Litigation and Licensing
Permanent. Grade 6 – £54,495‑£64,811 (consultation grade – subject to formal evaluation under the Pay Equity Review). Working 36.5 hours per week.
A brilliant opportunity to join a dynamic, progressive legal service where you will work on a wide range of projects and cases, developing as a leading local government lawyer.
Birmingham City Council’s legal service is unique and one of the largest in‑house local authority legal teams. The City Council is on a journey of resetting, reshaping and restarting, and everyone within legal services is essential to the Council’s success and to achieving beneficial outcomes for our citizens.
Birmingham City Council is committed to achieving excellence, putting our citizens first, acting courageously and being true to our word.
This role is for one Principal Advocate within the Criminal Litigation and Licensing team.
Key Responsibilities
- Act as a legal advisor to ensure compliance with statutory duties and obligations, protecting the best interests of the Council.
- Provide high‑quality, innovative, well‑researched and comprehensive specialist legal advice.
- Attend courts, tribunals, public inquiries or other meetings, undertake advocacy and represent the Council in negotiations and discussions.
- Appear as an advocate in the higher courts, representing the Council in a wide range of hearings.
- Assess evidential strengths and weaknesses in a case and advise on appropriate next steps or options.
- Draft court documents, briefing notes and legal documents.
- Support the Legal Services Management Team to meet practice‑management requirements and ensure compliance with policies and procedures, playing a key role in maintaining high service standards.
Qualifications & Conditions
You must possess a current practising certificate as a Solicitor/Chartered Legal Executive or be a member of the Bar who has completed pupillage/registered Fellow of the Institute of Legal Executives. You must also possess a Higher Rights Qualification or be willing to obtain one.
Proof of right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed. Sponsorship is not available for this post.
Benefits
- 30 days annual leave (increases to 33 days after 5 years and 35 days after 10 years, plus option to purchase additional leave).
- Access to voluntary benefits providers that support health, wellbeing and leisure time.
- Family‑friendly policies, e.g. maternity/adoption, paternity, shared parental leave, carers’ leave.
- Health and wellbeing support networks: independent and confidential employee assistance and counselling, occupational health, etc.
- Employee communities and support groups including Corporate Black Workers Support Group, Disability and LGBT+ Networks, Menopause Support Forum, etc.
- Disability confident employer.
- Membership of a job‑related pension scheme, West Midlands Pension Fund or Teachers’ Pensions, with generous employer contributions.
- Access to ‘My Rewards’ – over 800 brands providing discounts and savings including high‑street stores, supermarkets, utilities, insurance providers, and great days out.
- Opportunities to join salary‑sacrifice schemes such as Cycle to Work, Annual Travel and Car Parking, and other schemes forthcoming.
Equal Opportunities
Birmingham City Council is a disability confident employer and is committed to recruiting, retaining and developing all its staff. All applications will be treated fairly and without bias. All staff and volunteers are expected to safeguard and promote the welfare of our citizens.
#J-18808-Ljbffr…